True Bruin senior scholar weaves love for music with passion for medicine

True Bruin senior scholar weaves love for music with passion for medicine

Six-year-old Avinash Malaviya’s piano teacher taught him to play by ear. Malaviya, now a fourth-year ethnomusicology and neuroscience student, recalls walking into his first lesson, his nervousness stifling his normally energetic personality. His teacher was strict, but Malaviya would continue to pursue music for years to come. When Malaviya arrived at UCLA, he began to mentor elementary school children who would often ask whether it was normal for musicians to become doctors, as he planned to do. Malaviya said he refused to give up his love for music, but still wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Malaviya is one of five students to win the True Bruin Distinguished Senior Award, which recognizes students who exemplify integrity and service, according to the award’s website. He said he didn’t know whether…